New York City, September 27, 2012

★★ The days had shortened enough that the baby rose inarguably before dawn, in the dark. Not even a faint ray of orange from somewhere this time. When dawn did come, it was gray skies over wet streets. The humidity was in the hallway, hovering over the folded newspaper, pouncing. Things did blue up through the morning and into afternoon. Short-sleeve conditions. But then came more clouds, with false or impossible implications: a gray blunted midwinter light, over still-balmy streets; an apricot glow amid dark gray, threatening a nonexistent downpour.